Circuit Mont-Tremblant
Circuit Mont-Tremblant | location= Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada | length= 4.265 km (2.65 miles) | turns= 15 | record= Formula One: 1:31.5, Jackie Stewart, 1970 Current circuit: 1:16.776, Tristan Gommendy, Panoz Champ Car, 2007 | firstgp= 1968 Canadian Grand Prix | lastgp= 1970 Canadian Grand Prix }} Circuit Mont-Tremblant is a racing circuit in Quebec, that hosted the Canadian Grand Prix in 1968 and 1970. It is named for a nearby mountain and popular ski resort. Circuit History Canadian sports car enthusiasts had been searching for a place to hold racing for some time. It was discovered that a plot of land near the Mont-Tremblant ski resort could be purchased at a reasonable price, and a corporation was set up. The 1.5 mile long north section of the track was opened in 1964, with the south loop added a year later. In the 1970s and 1980s, the track went through a series of owners, and finally went bankrupt and sat abandoned for a number of years. It was finally purchased by Montreal fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll in 2000, and he commissioned a major rebuild and upgrade of the facilities. Today, the track is resurfaced every spring, and is frequently used by different types of series. Circuit Layouts Previous Layouts The original track was regarded as one of the most difficult on the calendar. It is in a hilly area, with several elevation changes. and 15 corners in 2.6 miles means the drivers are constantly dealing with corners. The one real straight has a left hand kink, as one goes over a hump that caused cars to entirely leave the track, something normally seen only at the Nürburgring. In addition, due to the elevation and latitude, the winters there are severe, and the track would get quite bumpy from the snow and ice. With the race also covering the longest distance of the season, the drivers knew that they were in for a grueling afternoon. Just after the very short (and cramped) pit straight, the track makes three progressively tighter right turns, followed by a sharp left. A short straight leads into a sweeping left, and another short straight goes uphill, to a sharp right at the crest of the hill. A gently arcing straight down into a valley ends in an increasing radius 180° right, leading onto the back straight. This straight goes straight uphill, and at the midpoint of the straight, the road sharply crests the hill at a slight left hand kink. The blind crest means the drivers have to aim the car, then prepare for it to be airborne briefly. At the end of the downhill section of the straight, the drivers make a 90° right, then two consecutive 90° lefts. The circuit ends with a sharp, right hand hairpin followed by a gentle left leading back onto the pit straight. Current The current circuit is very similar to the original layout. The upgrades in 2000 and 2004 widened the track, and upgraded the safety features. The sweeping turn six lefthander is now a sharper left-left-right sequence, almost a chicane. And the infamous hump in the back straight has been lowered and smoothed, but can still catch out the occasional driver whose mind has wandered. Event history The following is a list of Formula One World Championship events held at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant: Notes Category:Circuits Category:Canadian Circuits Category:Canadian Grand Prix Category:Circuits that Débuted in 1968